Photo: Mazda via IP Force
We’ve been dreaming about the RX-9 ever since Mazda revealed the RX-Vision Concept in 2015 at the Tokyo Auto Show. The Japanese automaker has also previewed the SkyActiv-R engine with this one-off work of automotive art, but then again, neither the car nor the rotary powerplant has made it to production. Yet…
Last time we’ve heard anything remotely official about the successor of the RX-8, chief executive officer Akira Marumoto said that the rotary sports car “is a dream of everyone at Mazda.” Prior to that comment, there were statements according to which RX-9 will definitely happen and the RX-9 won’t. Frankly, it’s a slow burn.
On the upside, Mazda develops the SkyActiv-R as we speak in the guise of a range-extender rotary for a future version of the MX-30 crossover. Think of this powertrain as the BMW i3 REx with a two-cylinder motorcycle mill.
However, the SkyActiv-R could be developed into something else based on a patent filing. Submitted in October 2018 and published in April 2020, JP 2020-55416 reveals two in-wheel electric motors at the front axle, indirectly coupled to the rotary engine, and a third electric motor that drives the rear axle. Make no mistake about it; this layout is seriously complex.
The internal combustion engine is also depicted as a V-type engine with eight cylinders, though it’s wishful thinking to hope that Mazda will ever go down the eight-cylinder route. On the other hand, it’s possible for the SkyActiv-G and SkyActiv-D family of inline-six powerplants to feature the e-AWD setup.
If the engine acts solely as a range extender, then Mazda is following in the footsteps of the BMW i3 REx as well as the Chevrolet Volt. As opposed to those two, the patent features a 3.5-kWh battery and a 48-volt electrical system. That’s a lot less than the Chevy and Bimmer, but then again, the MX-30 also features a small battery compared to its competitors.
The MX-30 makes do with 35.5 kWh and approximately 130 miles of range because of something called life-cycle assessment of total CO2 emissions. According to Mazda official Christian Schultze, a 95-kWh pack would generate higher CO2 emissions from the beginning of the vehicle’s life cycle.
On that note, the big question is still unanswered. Will the RX-9 ever happen, and if it will, does Mazda plan to gift it with this intricate e-AWD layout?
On the upside, Mazda develops the SkyActiv-R as we speak in the guise of a range-extender rotary for a future version of the MX-30 crossover. Think of this powertrain as the BMW i3 REx with a two-cylinder motorcycle mill.
However, the SkyActiv-R could be developed into something else based on a patent filing. Submitted in October 2018 and published in April 2020, JP 2020-55416 reveals two in-wheel electric motors at the front axle, indirectly coupled to the rotary engine, and a third electric motor that drives the rear axle. Make no mistake about it; this layout is seriously complex.
The internal combustion engine is also depicted as a V-type engine with eight cylinders, though it’s wishful thinking to hope that Mazda will ever go down the eight-cylinder route. On the other hand, it’s possible for the SkyActiv-G and SkyActiv-D family of inline-six powerplants to feature the e-AWD setup.
If the engine acts solely as a range extender, then Mazda is following in the footsteps of the BMW i3 REx as well as the Chevrolet Volt. As opposed to those two, the patent features a 3.5-kWh battery and a 48-volt electrical system. That’s a lot less than the Chevy and Bimmer, but then again, the MX-30 also features a small battery compared to its competitors.
The MX-30 makes do with 35.5 kWh and approximately 130 miles of range because of something called life-cycle assessment of total CO2 emissions. According to Mazda official Christian Schultze, a 95-kWh pack would generate higher CO2 emissions from the beginning of the vehicle’s life cycle.
On that note, the big question is still unanswered. Will the RX-9 ever happen, and if it will, does Mazda plan to gift it with this intricate e-AWD layout?
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